Lamp socket



B. B. WHITE LAMP SOCKET Feb. 17, 1931.

Filed March 19, 1928 INVENTOR WITNESSEs mW M @760 r 'edw Patented Feb. 17, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BENJAMIN 13. WHI E; or pr'rrsisunen, PENNSYLVANIA, nssrcmon ro -ARMSTRONG & WHITE, or PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA; A CORPORATION or PENNSYLVANIA LAMP sooner ig ucaan ma March 19, 1928. Serial no. 262,713.

This invention relates to incandescent lamp sockets, andmore particularly to waterproof lamp sockets of the type that' may be employed in outdoor service. p v

The object of the invention generally stated is to provide a lampsocket of simple and sturdy construction which may be placed on the market at a very low cost.

A. more particular object of the invention is to provide a lamp socket of the above de scribed character which is protected against the injurious effects of the weather when subjected to outdoor service, to guard against possible open or short circuits, and to protect against explosions causedby gas pockets being ignited by short circuits, thereby protecting operators or users from injury.

Another object of the invention is to provide a lamp socket in which the lamp-receiving shell or terminal is positively prevented from turning in the socket, to eliminate the danger of open or short circuits in the device resulting from mechanical failures caused by the shell turning.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a lamp socket comprising a'minimum number of parts which may be easily as sembled to form a durable and compact unit.

Further objects of the invention will become apparent when the description given hereinafter is considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings; in which Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the socket insulating housing; Fig. 2 a central sectional view taken on the line IIII of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 a cross sectional view of a portion of the lamp-receiving sleeve or shell illustrating the manner in which the lead terminal is connected to the sleeve; and Fig. 4 a plan view showing the inner end of the lamp-receiving sleeve.

Referring now to the several figures of the drawing, I have illustrated a unitary housing 1 which may comprise any of a number of well known insulating materials for-med to have an inverted cup-like opening 2 in its lower end and a recess 3 at its upper end, and in which parallel passages 4 and 5 are provided for, establishing communication between the openings at the two ends. A corrugated shell or sleeve 6 of conducting material in which the corrugations constitute a thread for receiving the terminal end of a lamp, isdisposedin the cup-like opening 2. A lip portion 7 is stamped or cut out of the shell 6 at the inner end as shown in Fig. 4., to provide a projection which is inserted in the passage 5 to prevent the sleeve or shell 6 from turning in the housing 1, and which forms an element for connecting a terminal lead 8 insertedin the passage 5 and secured to the lip? by soldering, welding or by any other suitable means to provide proper electrical and mechanical connection.

In order to insulate the shell I from the central terminal of the socket a relatively large hole 9 is cut in the center of the base of the shell as indicated, and to aid in holding the shell in place a disc or washer 11 made of somesuitable insulating material is placed inside of the shell 6, and bears against the.

flange surrounding the hole 9 and is held in position by a stud screw 12. The screw 12 is adapted to extend through an opening in the washer 11, the passage l, and thread into a terminal plate 13. The terminal plate is provided with a threadedopening 14 for receiving the screw 12 and a plain opening 15 for receiving a terminal lead 16 which maybe also soldered to the plate 13 to secure the connection. In the recess 3 a depression 17 is provided forming a seat to receive plate 13 to avoid gas pockets and to facilitate the assembly of the plate. The head of the screw 12 may constitute the' central terminal of the socket, or it may be provided with a terminal clip18 which will yieldingly engage the central terminal of the lamp base.

In order to prevent water or moisture of any kind from seeping into the top of the lamp socket and establishing deleterious electrolytic actions, the recess 4 may be filled with sealing wax or some other suitable insulating cement. To prevent the accumulation of explosive gases, which may be discharged by short circuits, the socket or lamp socket is designed to eliminate all pockets in the regionof the electrical connections. 7

It is evident from the foregoingdescrip tion of this invention that the lamp receptacle is firmly interlocked with the socket housing,

and a durable mechanical structure having dependable electrical connections adequately protected from the weather is provided, and which is not only simple and compact in form, but which may be manufactured in production quantities at a minimum cost.

lVhile I have disclosed my invention in a preferred embodiment thereof, it will be readily understood that structures of this character may be varied without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A lamp socket comprising a housing of r insulating material. provided with a cup-like opening in one end, a recess in its other end and communicating passages connecting said opening and said recess: a threaded lampreceiv' 1g sleeve disposed in said cuplike opening and provided on its inner end with a lead-connecting projection extending into one of said communicating passages; a terminal plate in said recess; an insulating disc within said sleeve engaging the inner end thereof; and a. stud forming a terminal for the socket disposed in another of said communicating passages and connecting said disc and said plate together to hold the sleeve rigidly in position in the housing.

2. A lamp socket comprising a housing of insulating material provided with a cup-like opening at one end, va recess at the other end and communicating passages connecting said opening and said recess; a threaded conducting lamp-receiving sleeve mounted in said cup-like opening and provided with a leadconnecting projection extending into one of said communicating passages to prevent the sleeve from turning in the housing, a terminal plate fitted in said recess, an insulating disc disposed in said sleeve, a terminal-forming stud screw extending through another of said communicating passages and connecting said plate and said disc together to hold the sleeve in fixed relation with the housing, a terminal lead extending through the passage in which the sleeve projection is disposed and electrically connected thereto, a second terminal lead secured to the terminal plate, and insulating sealing material filling said recess to prevent ingress'of moisture into the top of the socket.

3. A lamp socket comprising an insulating housing having cup-shaped sleeve-receiving opening in its lower end and a smaller terminal receiving recess in its upper end, said latter recess being provided with a terminal plate-receiving seat in its bottom formed at the upper end of a centrally disposed communicating passage extending therefrom into the lower opening, a second passage extending from said recess into the lower opening adjacent the side wall. thereof, a lamp receiving sleeve having a base provided with an opening with a flange thereabout, a leadgaging disc to said terminal plate and holding said sleeve firmly in said housing, a second terminal lead connected to said terminal plate and spaced from said first-mentioned lead, and insulating sealingmaterial filling said upper recess.

In testimony whereof, I sign my name.

BENJAMIN B. WHITE. 

